Optical 3D scanners can be installed in enclosures that are either hand-held or supported on a tripod. Variants also exist which are installed in a free-standing enclosure.
Optical 3D scanners find industrial applications in many fields of, for example in medical technology, particularly the dental technology (dentistry). Dental 3D scanners are hereby at least partially inserted into the oral cavity. This “mouthpiece” may include, for example, a mirror or a prism for deflecting the optical axis. In some systems, this part is removable and can be sterilized. In many models, a strip light pattern is projected with this component onto the object to be scanned. The deflection of the strips is then detected by the built-in camera system.
Technical 3D scanners are based in part on the above-mentioned strip light projection technique. Frequently, the laser projection technology is used wherein a laser beam is moved over the object to be scanned and its change is detected.
Video glasses are used in the field of virtual reality. Video glasses also exist that have a built-in camera in order to switch between virtual reality and reality. It is also known to superimpose on the reality information though projection onto transparent plates, through which the user sees the reality. This technology is used, for example, in head-up displays in aircraft or motor vehicles and in the Google glass application.